20259: Esser: Rally denounces White House role in Haiti coup (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

People's Weekly World Newspaper
http://www.pww.org

Mar 13, 2004

Rally denounces White House role in Haiti coup
by Tim Wheeler, Washington correspondent

WASHINGTON  Protesters rallied in front of the White House, March 6,
chanting "U.S. out of Haiti, Aristide in" and holding placards
proclaiming, "End the U.S. coup in Haiti!"

Haitian American Marx Aristide, a leader of the Haiti Support
Project, was cheered as he blasted Bush for overthrowing Haiti's
democratically elected president.

"This is not just about democracy in Venezuela or Haiti. It's about
democracy in the U.S.," said Aristide, who is no relation to the
ousted president. "Everybody realizes the Bush administration is
determined to uproot democracy all around the world."

Marx Aristide pointed out that this year is the bicentennial of the
revolution led by the slave, Toussaint L'Ouverture, which freed Haiti
from French colonial rule. Turning to address the White House behind
him, he shouted, "If you think you can do to Haiti what Napoleon
couldn't do, think again! We're going to send you back to Texas in
November!" The crowd cheered.

Mildred Charles, executive director of the 10th Department
Organization for Haitian Empowerment, a Washington-based group that
represents the Haitian diaspora, demanded a congressional
investigation.

"Why is the United States siding with the rebel groups instead of the
democratically elected president of Haiti?" she demanded. "Where are
these rebels getting their weapons and uniforms? Why did the U.S.
pressure the World Bank, the IMF and USAID not to send financial
assistance to Haiti in the past 10 years? This is a call to action.
We want people to call their congresspeople to demand a full
investigation. The United Nations should be more involved. And don't
forget, we have an election here in the U.S. Nov. 2. We want regime
change here."

Jon Samuels, an aide to Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), told the crowd
the Illinois lawmaker supports an investigation of the removal of
Aristide. "U.S. troops went to the doorstep of Aristide's palace and
told him: "Thugs are coming and they are going to kill you and we
won't protect you unless you agree to leave."If that isn't a coup,
what is it?"

Damu Smith, a leader of Black Voices for Peace, reminded the crowd
that Bush stole the 2000 election by "disenfranchising Black voters
in Florida, including Haitian American voters," in what he called an
American-style coup d'etat. Now, Bush is attempting a coup in Haiti.
"We have a gang of pathological liars in the White House right now.
Why hasn't the U.S. military arrested those paramilitary thugs in
Haiti? Because they want them to seize power. We say, U.S. out!
Aristide in!"

Shirley Pate, leader of No War on Cuba, held a placard that read,
"Bermuda Triangle of U.S. foreign policy: Haiti, Venezuela, and
Cuba." She accused Bush-Cheney of orchestrating a campaign of lies
and disinformation to destabilize all three nations in what she
called a "perpetual coup."

Nicole Lee, an organizer for Global Justice, demanded that Congress
summon Bush, Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of
State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice "to
testify under oath on their role in what has happened in Haiti. U.S.
Marines stand by protecting U.S. assets while Haitian lives are taken
in our names," she said.

Demonstrations against the coup were also held in Chicago, South
Florida, New Orleans, the Bay Area, and New York, among other places.

In a separate development, Democratic presidential candidate John
Kerry criticized the Bush administration for failing to back the
democratically elected Haitian president.
.